Random Heroes Review

As far as platforms go, this one has the basics down: adjusted left to right running, with baddies and leveled platforms to get to. Our hero is outfitted with a gun, but the gun does not perpetually shoot; the a button nestled to the right only shoots when pressed. Just to the left of this button is the jump button, and the bottom left of the screen has two directional buttons.

The gameplay itself mostly rolls in the aforementioned left-to-right fashion, though it is possible to go back towards the left, an at times, it is necessary to do so. There are several dangerous elements, things green-skinned beings that caused damage by contact while generally marching back and forth, armed thugs and even flying machinery. Some ground levels are lined by spikes that cause damage, and if sustained, are lethal. Using the equipped gun, shooting is the easiest way to dispose of the creatures, but it does take sustained gunfire to dispatch them with the lowly starting gun, so evasive moves (like jumping over oncoming creatures) is sometimes necessary. Destroying one of the monsters yields coins which can be collected by contact as well.

The damage from the green guys can be intense, and the life bar to the upper left is a measure of the life source of the protagonist. To replenish it, there are health packs that are strategically located in different parts of the running area. Getting to the door that eventually shows up on the right is the goal per level. And of course, there are boss battles to contend with.

A key part of the gameplay is the ability to upgrade. The process is fairly straightforward, with stuff like guns having the ability to be upgraded with collected coins. Each weapon has measurables (rate of fire and damage infliction) and thus, there is some thought that can be assigned to upgrading slowly or saving up an going big. Characters can be upgraded as well.

The game has fun pixellated graphics braced against an appealing steamish background, and it all comes together well to create an interesting 2D thriller. It is a lot of the same, and this might be a bit of a drawback, but it is not a bad game by any means.

Random Heroes Review Rundown

8

Graphics/Sound - Great pixellated looks, with effective 2D rendering.

7

Controls - Simple four-button default could use a bit more streamlining.